The reason I can enjoy, even relish a snow such as we've had this week is-- wait for it-- it will be gone sometime on Sunday. It began Wednesday, has snowed prettily most of the week off and on to accumulate on our farm maybe 8". If it was more, then I'd be worried as our biggest floods come off snow that melts fast. This amount can melt fast and should do little more than raise the creek a bit. There has been considerably more on the Cascade side of the Willamette Valley which means flooding may be a factor there.
Last year we spent December in Tucson and when we got back had missed the only western Oregon snowfall. This December the farm got a little snow. We were gone for January (loving the Tucson sunshine) and were not sure if we'd get snow once we were home. You never really know as I remember one really intense snow came in March. It's an erratic process and the weather guys have changed their minds all week for what we would get.
It's still snowing-- so that's an uncertainty for the total amount and whether flooding will be a problem as it begins to melt. We needed the moisture and I love watching it snow. The flooding part though I could do without. I am glad we are here though and not trying to get here from somewhere else.
A snow like this is a delight as it changes the whole world. Looking outside, the snow is still falling, the branches of the oak trees are highlighted (did I mention I love the looks of trees in winter with their limbs sculpturally exposed). The ground is a pristine white. I am happy to be here, not have to go anywhere and able to just enjoy it all. Since people aren't driving any more than they must, it's very quiet with almost no traffic and definitely no log trucks. Snow is so quiet.
The photos below go from when it was first starting 'til Friday when it was coming down gangbusters all day.
11 comments:
Too much of a good thing is too much. I have not had to weather it out this year as I was gone during our two snowfalls, but we have had snowfall as late as April, so I am not holding my breath.
One of our worst snowfalls came in March. But we needed this as we had been getting forest fires already in the Coast Range. When I was a child, living in the foothills of the Cascades, one of the worst fires came onto our land, burned thousands of acres, and was seasonally not when you'd expect. So this snow was a welcome sight.
Love those lambs. When my kids had their farm they raised goats, pigs, and children. We still have the children ;-) but I do miss those piggy and goat babies. We have just enough snow right now to be annoying and make driving iffy at times, its dry though blows right off the car so far.
And now it has turned to sleet. Friday was beautiful and I got out during the break and there were people out in the neighborhoods walking about and feeling good. It was a bit slippery on the roads but I'm used to driving on ice when need be coming from Oklahoma. However, there is no way I would drive today. Or probably tomorrow. Your land looks beautiful Rain!
Love the lambs and the little birds all puffed up from the cold.
It was the first real rain storm that we have had in 14 months. We need about 10 more just like it.
The nice thing about this snow is how slowly it's going into the land. No floods, so far anyway, and it should go deep. the bad part is losing our power since Saturday afternoon. We had some plans in mind for that but turned out our generator didn't work. Wood heat, candles, kerosene lamps, camping gear all help but missing lights is huge. and these days all my news comes from the internet. So we got luck and a new generator came into Home Depot today and we got it. It's giving us some of what we lost-- while who knows when they'll actually get the lines back up-- not to mention a wind storm coming in tonight... And I hear the SE is getting hit again also with a big snowstorm. What a winter
I was wondering how you were fairing through these snows---and your dear sheep, too...(LOTS of Little Ones I see...I hope they are all doing well) Snow can be Beautiful, but the aftermath can be NOT so great...! I hope you won't have any flooding, my dear.
Love your snow there. There is just something about snow, how it quiets the world that makes it beautiful on the first day. After that, it starts to make life less interesting and more chaotic. We've had one small snow this year, so far. I wouldn't complain if we didn't get any more. We did get a huge amount of rain and were quite grateful for that. This has been one crazy winter all around.
I forgot to add that I love that Towhee...I think that is what that is? I thought the western towhee was more gray and less orange?
we think it's a spotted towhee. It is not normally quite so balloon like but like all birds, does know how to fluff up for warmth protection
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